Welcome To The World
by TalksToSelf
Summary: SPOILERS FOR TSUBASA 201. Kimihiro was simply not ready for the world at the time of his birth. But he is important. As his parents bid goodbye to their newborn son they can only hope hitsuzen has a better plan for their boys


A/n: Based on 201 of Tsubasa. I'll hafta put it in the holic section though it's more CCS.

Welcome To The World

"I just… we're not even married." The green eyed girl sighed softly, sipping at the buttermilk her boyfriend had made her.  
"We can get married." The teenager with amber eyes promised, stroking her auburn hair very gently.  
"That's not the point…" She bit her lip.  
"Will your dad be angry?"  
"He'll be… disappointed," Sakura whispered, wiping her eyes. "Mother would understand. She had Toya when she was… Oh no! Toya's going to kill you! I can't be a single mother!" She sobbed suddenly and buried her face in her hands.  
"He is NOT going to kill me… I hope." Syaoran had to sigh at this point. Toya would not be happy that much was certain. "Sakura, you and I made the decision to sleep together… we're not exactly children. I… I think we can do this." He cupped her face and drew her up to look at him. "I'd like you to keep the baby." She scowled. Seventeen and pregnant Sakura was scared, there was no denying that. But she was who she was. She was too kind to even consider other options.  
"Mou I didn't say I wasn't keeping it." She huffed. "I'm just…"

"Don't say it." Yuuko whispered, peering into her glass ball. "Sakura-chan you'll change the world with this next sentence please…" But she could wish for no more, as Sakura uttered the tell-tale phrase which would change the lives of so many peoples.

"Now is not a good time for us to have a baby." She breathed.  
"No, it's not. But I know the minute we look in his eyes… he'll be the thing we'd die for if we had to." Yuko sighed. Fei Wang grinned. Sakura and Syaoran went about their day, unaware of the fate they'd just incurred on their unborn baby.

* * *

"You're safe here." Were the first words the tiny unnamed baby heard as his hearing ventured outside the confines of the womb. He wasn't sure who was speaking. How could he be. Still a foetus, all translucent and vein-y. The outside world scared him.

The first time he opened his eyes and saw his own arms and legs, still in early formation, he closed them again immediately. He was scared.

His first ever thought was what came next. What was after this comfort, this safety?

Sometimes he could hear his mother whispering sweet words of kindness. He decided that he liked her. She had such a gentle voice. He thought the male voice he often heard was his father. But he yelled a lot, not at mother, not at him… he was just in general loud. He wasn't sure he liked him. Nor the girl who SQUEE'd every time she saw mother.

During his first few months, he tried to picture his mother. She'd be beautiful, father often told her so. Though she was overweight. She kept telling him.

Suddenly there was noise. Lots of noise. Panic. The world was calling him. He felt a strange tug. No. Not now. The world was scary. He didn't want to leave now!

* * *

"Ouch!" Sakura hissed, sitting up in bed, tears in her eyes. "Syaoran! Syaoran!" She sobbed at the stabbing pain.  
"What's wrong?"  
"The baby's coming!" She wailed, forcing herself off of the end of the bed and into her slippers. Syaoran was on his feet and helping her get ready instantly.  
"Now! But you're only…"  
"I KNOW!" She howled, her head feeling fuzzy. Now was not the time for her baby, she knew that. She whimpered at the pain as Syaoran called an ambulance, then friends and family. She couldn't listen to him as he whispered with them… she hated him. In that instance Sakura hated Syaoran. He had to believe in their baby. Their baby was going to live.

"You'll be fine." She told him, stubbornly, unaware the fates were watching over them just waiting to snatch the tiny little boy from existence. Witches, wizards, warriors, ghosts and more waited on the birth of this child. He would change the world. "I love you too much. You'll be fine." Sakura told her aching stomach, rubbing it methodically.

* * *

"She's in labour." Told the midwife.  
"But it's too soon can't we stop it!" Syaoran roared, angry at him for not being more direct.  
"I'm afraid not." The midwife said, cowering a little under his glare as she strapped on the rubber gloves she'd need to deliver the child.  
"Forget that what are his chances?" Fujitaka asked.  
"Forget that what are HER chances!" Toya demanded.  
"STOP IT, STOP IT ALL OF YOU!" Sakura cried. "HE'S GOING TO BE FINE." And Yukito grimaced. He could see their mother. She was there. Nadeshiko. Her ghost stroked Sakura's hair soothingly. He could only think she was here to collect him.  
"Sakura, calm down." Syaoran kissed her lovingly. "Please."  
"I'm trying to be calm. But you're all talking so negatively." The expectant mother sobbed.  
"I'm going to have to ask you all to leave Syaoran-san and Sakura-san to deliver." The midwife instructed.  
"Remember…" Eriol whispered in her ear as they all filtered out with words of encouragement. "'I'll absolutely be alright'" He said mysteriously. For he knew what he... or moreso Clow had done, all those years ago. He knew what he'd done in preparation for this day.

As everyone waited outside the room anxious for news of the premature infant's arrival, he slipped off. Sure enough at the entrance to the hospital where his descendant was to be born stood a tall woman with long black hair and large breasts.  
"Yuko-san." He bowed at her curtly. He was overly polite with the stranger.  
"This is our first meeting, Eriol-kun, you're just as he said you'd be." She inclined her head. "It's unfortunate that we were not destined to meet under better circumstances." Eriol had to nod in agreement. For he did not know the child's fate only that years ago Clow had enacted preventative measures.  
"You have it?" He asked curiously.  
"His magic was more powerful than mine." She said without shame. "A truly great sorcerer. Only he could grant this wish."  
"Then…" Eriol straightened up and showed a maturity beyond his seventeen years. "Then we shall have to have him grant it."  
"Here." Yuko handed the reincarnation of one of the greatest wizards alive a glasslike sphere no larger than a tennis ball. "This… the energy he had to put in this killed Clow. He ended his life early for this boy… so that he might have a chance."  
"Yuko-san… do you intend to stick around?" He questioned, pushing his glasses up on his nose and surveying the strange woman with an air of familiar respect.  
"No. My role for this child comes later." She sang, and swept out like some unholy bat into the late March night.

* * *

It was only fitting that he was born in the witching hour. April first and 12:01am, the tiny baby came into the world. But he didn't cry, how could he when he was suffocating? There were ghosts surrounding him. A kindly looking young woman with long flowing hair, a handsome man with long blue hair and glasses.  
"He's not breathing!" A nurse said, ushering the baby into a small box and attaching wires. Sakura wailed.  
"I want to see him."  
"There's nothing we can do." Whispered a doctor sadly, watching the premature baby struggle desperately to hold onto the life he wanted.  
"LEAVE HIM ALONE HE'LL BE OKAY."  
"Sakura-san… Sakura-san!" The nurse said firmly. "The machine is breathing for him… he can't live without it. We're sorry but… he won't survive." She felt her heart break. Not after this. No. He had to be okay. He was here, he was alive. Why was this stupid woman telling her he was dying.  
"No no no!" She whimpered, clutching her boyfriend's shirt. Syaoran stroked her back and looked at the tiny boy.

"Let everyone in… to say goodbye." Syaoran ordered.  
"It's not goodbye, it can't be!" Sakura hissed, fighting the nurses as best she could.

* * *

"He's… so small." Tomoyo whispered in disbelief, peering into the clear cube that was the only world the baby may ever know. He was barely the size of her palm, and bright red, all his veins visible. He wasn't ready for the world. And the world wasn't ready for him.  
"Sakura-san." Fujitaka whispered, kissing his daughter who was staring stony faced at the wall. "Please talk."  
"HOW CAN I!" She sobbed. "He's alive and you're all signing his death sentence. How can you even look at this boy when you don't believe in him!" She demanded, clenching her fists. Syaoran bowed his head and allowed tears to fall onto his son's unit.  
"Sakura… just… just be quiet." He begged her, pressing one palm against the plastic. "Talk to your son… please."

Eriol's eyes flitted from nurse to nurse, ignoring the child, ignoring the heartbreaking scene of the family losing a baby. As soon as the last midwife left Eriol summoned his staff.  
"Sakura-san, Syaoran-kun… I believe you have a visitor." He said softly, raising it. Yukito fainted and turned into Yue, and Kero darted out from his place under Sakura's pillow. Sakura froze. Syaoran jolted. They knew that presence too well. Eriol held up the orb that Yuko had given him.

Fujitaka, Tomoyo and Toya even saw it. An apparation. A man stood in front of them, long flowing violet robe wrapped loosely around his slim figure.  
"Clow Reed!" Yue and Kero gasped. Sakura barely blinked. Syaoran could only tense up in response. He knew this face but he personally had no experience with the man.  
"It's been a while, Sakura-san." Clow bowed.  
"You're dead." Syaoran said bluntly.  
"Are you here for the boy?" Yue barked, angry at Clow for choosing now to reappear.  
"Ah Syaoran-kun… I believe this is out first meeting."  
"DON'T IGNORE ME!" Yue roared furiously, diving for his master, but instead passing straight through him.  
"I… don't understand." Kero breathed.  
"This boy… he was born on april the first. How adaquet." Clow smiled and walked over to the cradle where the infant was fighting for life half heartedly. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be safe. He tried to cry but could only mewl.

"Explain yourself." Toya ordered, not peering up from his nephew. "Are you here to take him?"  
"The boy… Sakura, have you thought of a name?" Clow asked coolly, his hand passing through the clear material and touching the young boy, just as Nadeshiko was doing from behind her own ethereal barrier.The two shared a secret smile.  
"His name." Sakura said firmly. "Is Kimihiro Li."  
"Very well…" Clow nodded and then smiled. "I placed all my remaining life force into the orb Eriol-kun just used. I'm afraid I only have a short time here, but there is something we must do."  
"Your life force… you… YOU DIED FOR THIS!" Yue growled.  
"Not for this so much as for what will be. Kimihiro has an entwined destiny with his younger brother." Clow said, unfazed by his minion's fury. After all, he knew him better than anyone. "Kimihiro is a culmination. He's an entity all of his own."  
"He's not human?" Sakura gasped, peeking at the tiny boy hiding behind a mop of unruly black hair.  
"He's human. He's Kurogane's hair and eternal inner strength. He's Fay's build, eyes and magic. He's his brother's determination. And of course… he's her kindred spirit and ability to see." The sorcerer breathed, bewildering the two devastated parents. "But now is not his time."

"Excuse me, but I don't think you came through all this trouble just to tell us he couldn't be saved." Eriol said pointedly. Clow smiled serenely.  
"Where did you get that attitude?" For he himself was laid back and devious not blunt and straight forward. "I believe… Sakura-san has a wish, but you must all keep in mind… there will be a hefty price."

Kimihiro blinked as a deal was negotiated above him. He couldn't understand any of the words but they all sounded so desperate. He felt so lousy. His chest hurt with the effort of trying to breathe on his own and his eyes were sore from trying to see more than the blurry shapes. Kimihiro knew he shouldn't be here.

He'd upset his mother. He could hear the tears in her voice (as she responded to being told he would be a replacement for a child she later lost not to death but to his determination), he could hear father's angry tone (at being told so outright their sons were interchangeable.) and most of all, he heard Clow's hopeful voice as he explained:  
"They are destined for great things. Both of them. But now is not his time. If you wish for him to live… I shall take him to where he can be safe, until the time comes ten years from now when your son leaves on his journey."  
"I have to ask. Without us making this wish… if we let him die in peace…" Syaoran said softly, not wanting the boy to die but wondering if it would be kinder.  
"Terrible things will happen." Warned Clow. "The world itself is a fragile place. Someone is interfering with your sons' destinies. For now… Kimihiro should be shielded."  
"Shielded where?" Toya questioned.  
"A place that is neither life nor death." explained the long dead wizard as best he could.  
"With you?" Asked Tomoyo weakly. Clow shook his head.  
"I am merely a projection. Kimihiro will be sent to stay with an archer who owes me a favor or two, he will be protected from those demons he has yet to face, but in that time… he will not exist. It's not that you will not remember him. Nor is it that you will you know anything about the events. He will be an orphan of time and circumstance… Effectively he will be erased from this world for now. But he'll have his time."

"I make the wish." Sakura whispered, standing up and crossing to look at her bewildered son. Blue eyes blinking beautifully, and black hair glinting. Clow mentioned not just his physical attributes that allegedly belonged to others, but had discussed his personality. Sakura truly believed in her son. "Send him away." She opened the container, careful not to disrupt the wires that kept him breathing. "But you send him with a mother's love."  
"And a father's." Promised Syaoran, stepping beside her.  
"I'm sorry I have to forget you Kimihiro. We'll meet again one day. But until then… goodbye." Sakura leaned in and kissed her son on the forehead. Syaoran did the same.

"One day." Clow whispered, picking the baby up, amazing those who had quite clearly seen him passing through objects. "One day both of your boys will be happy. Until that day… goodbye." And with that Clow whisked Kimihiro off, taking him to unknown dimensions.

Kimihiro's last thought before he left the world, ignorant of the turmoil his parents had just been through, was that here at least:  
He was safe.

A/n: I know I know, TECHNICALLY this makes Syaoran and Watanuki brothers, but I figure if he was technically wiped from existence Watanuki doesn't class as theirs by birth, at least not now. Anyway. I muse too much. I tried to keep it vague but Haruka was in there somewhere :D Reviews are love.


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